“Endaweni Yegolide, Ndafumana Iidayimani”
NGOKUBALISWA NGUMICHALIS KAMINARIS
Emva kweminyaka emihlanu ndiseMzantsi Afrika apho ndandiye kufuna igolide, ndabuyela ekhaya ndinento exabiseke ngakumbi. Makhe ndibalise ngobutyebi endinabo ngoku nendinqwenela ukwabelana nabanye ngabo.
NDAZALWA ngowe-1904 kwisiqithi saseGrisi eCephalonia kuLwandle i-Ionian. Bobabini abazali bam bafa kungekudala emva koko, ngoko ndakhula ndiyinkedama. Ndandilulangazelela uncedo, yaye ndandithandaza ngokufuthi kuThixo. Nangona ndandisoloko ndisiya kwiCawa yobuOthodoki bamaGrike, ndandingazi nowathwethwa ngeBhayibhile. Andizange ndifumane ntuthuzelo.
Ngowe-1929, ndagqiba ekubeni ndifuduke ndize ndifune ubomi obubhetele. Ukushiya isiqithi sasekhaya esingumqwebedu, ndanduluka ngenqanawa ndisinge eMzantsi Afrika ngendlela edlula eNgilani. Emva kweentsuku ezili-17 ndiselwandle, ndafika eKapa, eMzantsi Afrika, apho ndaqeshwa ngumkhaya kwangoko. Noko ke, andizange ndifumane ntuthuzelo kubutyebi bezinto eziphathekayo.
Into Exabiseke Ngakumbi
NdandiseMzantsi Afrika malunga neminyaka emibini xa omnye wamaNgqina kaYehova wandityelela emsebenzini waza wandinika uncwadi lweBhayibhile ngolwimi lwesiGrike. Apha kwakukho nencwadana ethi Baphi Na Abafi? nethi Oppression, When Will It End? Ndisayikhumbula kakuhle indlela endandizifunda ngolangazelelo ngayo, ndicengceleza kwanazo zonke izibhalo ezicatshuliweyo. Ngenye imini ndathi kumlingane wam: “Ndiyifumene into ebendisoloko ndiyifuna yonke le minyaka. Ndeza eAfrika ukuza kufuna igolide, kodwa endaweni yegolide, ndifumene iidayimani.”
Ndakuvuyela gqitha ukufunda ukuba uThixo unegama elinguYehova, ukuba uBukumkani bakhe sele bumiselwe emazulwini, yaye siphila kwimihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto. (INdumiso 83:18; Daniyeli 2:44; Mateyu 6:9, 10; 24:3-12; 2 Timoti 3:1-5; ISityhilelo 12:7-12) Hayi indlela ekwakuchulumancisa ngayo ukufunda ukuba uBukumkani bukaYehova buya kuzisa iintsikelelo ezingapheliyo kuzo zonke iintlanga zoluntu! Enye into eyandichukumisayo yayikukuba le nyaniso ixabisekileyo yashunyayelwa ehlabathini lonke.—Isaya 9:6, 7; 11:6-9; Mateyu 24:14; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4.
Kungekudala ndafumana ikhelingi yeofisi yesebe leWatch Tower Society eKapa ndaza ndafumana uncwadi olungakumbi lweBhayibhile. Ndavuyiswa ngokukodwa kukufumana umbhalo weBhayibhile wobuqu. Oko ndakufundayo kwandikhuthazela ekubeni ndinikele ubungqina. Ndaqalisa ngokuthumelela izalamane zam, abahlobo nabantu endibaziyo iimpapasho zeBhayibhile kwidolophu endazalelwa kuyo yaseLixoúrion. Kwizifundo zam, ndaqonda ukuba ukuze ubani akholise uYehova umele ahlulele ubomi bakhe kuye. Ngoko ngokukhawuleza ndakwenza oko ngomthandazo.
Ngesinye isihlandlo, ndaya kwintlanganiso yamaNgqina kaYehova, kodwa ekubeni ndandingasazi isiNgesi, andizange ndive negama elinye. Xa ndeva ukuba kukho amaGrike amaninzi ahlala eBhayi, ndafudukela apho, kodwa andizange ndifumane nelinye iNgqina elalithetha isiGrike. Ngenxa yoko, ndagqiba ekubeni ndibuyele eGrisi ukuze ndibe ngumhambisi wevangeli wexesha elizeleyo. Ndikhumbula ndizixelela ukuba, ‘ndiya kubuyela eGrisi enoba ndibetha ngogaga.’
Ubulungiseleli Bexesha Elizeleyo EGrisi
Intwasahlobo yowe-1934 yandifumana ndikwinqanawa enkulu yaseItali iDuilio. Ndafikelela eMarseilles, eFransi ndaza emva kweentsuku ezilishumi ndihlala apho, ndaya eGrisi ndikhwele inqanawa yabahambi iPatris. Ngoxa sasiselwandle, yonakala inqanawa, yaye ebudeni bobo busuku kwadluliselwa umyalelo wokuba kuthotyelwe amaphenyane okuhlangula elwandle. Ngoko ndakhumbula ngala nto ndandizixelele yona yokufika eGrisi enoba ndibetha ngogaga. Noko ke, ekugqibeleni iphenyane lokutsala laseItali lafika laza lasitsalela eNaples, eItali. Ngelingeni safika ePiraiévs (Piraeus), eGrisi.
Ukusuka apho ndaya eAthens apho ndatyelela iofisi yesebe leWatch Tower Society. Ekuncokoleni noAthanassios Karanassios, umveleli welo sebe, ndacela isabelo sokushumayela ixesha elizeleyo. Kusuku olulandelayo ndaya ePeloponnisos, kumazantsi elizwe laseGrisi. Ndabelwa esi sithili sonke njengentsimi yam!
Ndingenakuzibamba lihlombe ndaqalisa umsebenzi wokushumayela, ndisiya kwidolophu ngedolophu, kwidolophana ngedolophana, kwiifama ngeefama nakwizindlu ngezindlu ezikwanti. Kungekudala ndasebenza noMichael Triantafilopoulos, owayendibhaptiza ngehlobo lowe-1935—ngaphezu konyaka ndiqalise ubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo! Zazingekho izithuthi zikawonke wonke, ngoko sasibetha ngezikaTshiwo ukuya kuzo zonke iindawo. Eyona ngxaki inkulu esayifumanayo yayiyinkcaso yabefundisi ababezama ngandlela zonke ukusithintela. Ngenxa yoko, sajamelana nenkcaso ekrakra. Sekunjalo, phezu kwayo nje imiqobo, ubungqina banikelwa, yaye igama likaYehova labhengezwa ngokubanzi.
Ukunyamezela Inkcaso
Ngenye intsasa, ngoxa sasishumayela kwimimandla esezintabeni kwisithili saseArcadia, ndafika kwidolophana yaseMagouliana. Emva kweyure ndinikele ubungqina, ndeva kukhala iintsimbi zecawa ndaza kwangoko ndaqonda ukuba oku kwakujoliswe kum! Iqela lezaphulimthetho lahlanganisana likhokelwa yiarchimandrite kumzi woonongendi bobuOthodoki bamaGrike (isithwala-ndwe secawa esikwisihlalo esilandela esikabhishophu). Ngokukhawuleza ndayivala ingxowa yam yokunikela ubungqina ndaza ndathandaza ndithe cwaka kuYehova. Le archimandrite, ilandelwa ligquba labantwana, yangqala ngqo kum. Yaqalisa ukudanduluka isithi, “Nguye lo! Nguye kanye!”
Abo bantwana bandijikeleza benza isangqa, waza umfundisi wasondela endityhala ngeso sisu sakhe sithe puqa, esongela ngelokuba ‘ukuba ukhe wandibamba ngesakhe isandla ndiya kwenzakala.’ Ekhwaza kakhulu wathi, “Mbetheni! Mbetheni!” Kanye ngelo xesha kwavela ipolisa laza lasiqhubela kwisikhululo samapolisa sobabini. Lo mfundisi wafunyanwa enetyala lokuxhokonxa iqela lezaphulimthetho waza wohlwaywa iidrachmas ezingama-300 kunye neendleko zenkundla. Ndakhululwa.
Xa safikayo kummandla omtsha, sakhetha idolophu enkulu ukuba ibe sisazulu somsebenzi wethu, yaye ukususela apho sawugubungela wonke loo mhlaba sihamba umgama ongangeeyure ezine ngeenyawo. Oko kwakuthetha ukuba sasinduluka kwangonyezi size sibuyele ekhaya ngongcwalazi, ngokuqhelekileyo sityelela idolophana enye okanye ezimbini suku ngalunye. Emva kokugubungela iidolophana eziselumelwaneni, sashumayela emazantsi edolophu sandula sadlulela komnye ummandla. Ngokufuthi sasibanjwa ngenxa yokuba abefundisi babephembelela abantu ukuba basichase. Kwiphondo laseParnassus, ekumbindi weGrisi, ndandifunwa ngabakwantsasana kangangeenyanga eziliqela. Noko ke, batsho phantsi.
Ngenye imini mna noMzalwana uTriantafilopoulos sasishumayela kwidolophana yaseMouríki ekwisithili saseBoeotia. Sayahlula le dolophana yaba ngamacandelo amabini, ndaza ndaqalisa ukusebenza ndigudla loo mathambeka aneminqantsa, ekubeni ndandingoyena usemtsha. Ngequbuliso ndeva isikhalo sisitsho ngezantsi. Njengoko ndandibaleka ndisehla, ndandisithi, ‘uMzalwana Triantafilopoulos uyabethwa.’ Abemi bedolophana babehlanganisene kwivenkile yokutyela yasekuhlaleni, yaye umfundisi wayenyuka esehla exel’ inkunzi yenkomo egqubayo ngumsindo. Wadanduluka esithi, “Aba bantu bathi ‘siyinzala yeNyoka.’”
Lo mfundisi wayesele ewaphulele kwintloko kaMzalwana Triantafilopoulos umsimelelo, yaye igazi latsaza lisehlisa ubuso bakhe. Emva kokuba ndimosule igazi, sakwazi ukuphuncula. Sahamba iiyure ezintathu sada safika kwidolophu yaseThebes. Kwikliniki yalapho, labotshwa inxeba. Saxelela abakwantsasana ngeso siganeko, kwaza kwafakwa isimangalo. Noko ke, loo mfundisi wayesaziwa waza ekugqibeleni wakhululwa kusithiwa umsulwa.
Ngoxa sasisebenza idolophu yaseLeukas, abalandeli bezinye iinkokeli zobupolitika zaloo mmandla “basibamba” baza baya nathi kwivenkile yokutyela ekuloo dolophana, apho sazifumana sityholwa kwinkundla yamatyala engenamgaqo. Le nkokeli yezobupolitika neqela layo babebolekisana ngathi belugcwabevu yaye bethetha—beqhubeka ngamazwi arhabaxa—yaye besisongela ngokusibetha ngamanqindi ababesele bewafumbathe kade. Bonke babenxilile. Loo ngxolo yabo babeyenza yaqhubeka ukususela emini emaqanda de latshona, kodwa sahlala sizolile yaye sincumile njengoko sasisazi ukuba sasimsulwa saza sathandaza sithe cwaka sicela uncedo kuYehova uThixo.
Ngongcwalazi sahlangulwa ngamapolisa amabini. Asithabatha asisa kwisikhululo samapolisa aza asiphatha kakuhle. Ukuthethelela izenzo zayo, le nkokeli yezobupolitika yafika kusuku olulandelayo yaza yasityhola ngokusasaza amarhe nxamnye noKumkani waseGrisi. Ngoko siphahlwe ngamadoda amabini, amapolisa asithumela kwidolophu yaseLamia ukuze sincinwe ngakumbi. Sagcinwa eluvalelweni iintsuku ezisixhenxe saza sathatyathwa sikhonkxwe izandla sasiwa kwidolophu yaseLarissa apho kwakuza kuvavanywa ityala.
Abazalwana bethu abangamaKristu eLarissa, ababexelelwe kusengaphambili, babesilindele. Umsa omkhulu abawubonakalisayo waba bubungqina obuhle kubalindi. Igqwetha lethu, omnye wamaNgqina kaYehova nelalifudula lingumphathi-mkhosi, lalisaziwa kuloo dolophu. Xa lavela kwinkundla yamatyala laza lasimela kwityala lethu, izityholo esazibekwayo zangqineka zibubuxoki, saza sakhululwa.
Impumelelo kumsebenzi wokushumayela wamaNgqina kaYehova yakhokelela kwinkcaso engakumbi. Ngowe-1938 nowe-1939 kwamiselwa imithetho engakumbi eyayingavumi ukuba kwenziwe amaguquka, yaye mna noMichael sasiquqa sibuyelela ezinkundleni ngalo mbandela. Emva koko, iofisi yesebe yasicebisa ukuba sisebenze ngokwahlukeneyo ukulahla umkhondo khon’ ukuze bangatsalel’ ingqalelo kumsebenzi wethu. Ndakufumanisa kunzima kakhulu ukusebenza ngaphandle kweqabane. Sekunjalo, ukukholosa ngoYehova kwandenza ndasigubungela ngeenyawo isithili saseAttica, eBoeotia, ePhthiotis, e-Euboea, eAetolia, eAcarnania, e-Eurytania, nesithili sasePeloponnisos.
Into eyandincedayo ebudeni beli thuba luncuthu lamazwi omdumisi athetha ngokukholosa ngoYehova athi: “Ngokuba ngawe ndigila amajarha, ngoThixo wam ndiqabela ezindongeni. UThixo yena, igqibelele indlela yakhe; uloThixo undibhinqise ubukroti, uyigqibelelisileyo indlela yam; uzifanisayo iinyawo zam nezamaxhamakazi, undimisayo emimangweni yam.”—INdumiso 18:29, 32, 33.
Ngowe-1940, i-Itali yalwa imfazwe neGrisi, yaye kungekudala emva koko imikhosi yaseJamani yahlasela eli lizwe. Kwamiselwa umthetho wolawulo lomkhosi, zaza iincwadi zeWatch Tower Society akwavunywa ukuba zisasazwe. Lawo yayingamaxesha anzima kumaNgqina kaYehova aseGrisi; sekunjalo, ngokuthe ngcembe ayesanda ngamanani—ukususela kumaNgqina ali-178 ngowe-1940 ukusa kwali-1770 ekupheleni kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II ngowe-1945!
Ukukhonza EBheteli
Ngowe-1945, ndamenyelwa ukuya kukhonza kwiofisi yesebe lamaNgqina kaYehova eAthens. IBheteli, igama elithetha “Indlu kaThixo,” ngelo xesha yayimi kwindlu eqeshiswayo eLombardou Street. Iiofisi zazikumgangatho wokuqala, yaye indawo yokushicilela yayikumgangatho ongaphantsi. Yayinomatshini omncinane wokushicilela nowokusika. Ngelo xesha abantu ababesebenza kwindawo yokushicilela ekuqaleni babebabini kuphela, kodwa ngokukhawuleza amanye amatshantliziyo awayehamba ukusuka kumakhaya awo ayesincedisa emsebenzini.
Uqhagamshelwano nekomkhulu leWatch Tower Society eBrooklyn, eNew York, kwakhona lwaqalisa ngowe-1945, yaye ngaloo nyaka saphinda saqalisa ukushicilela IMboniselo rhoqo eGrisi. Sandula ke, ngowe-1947, safudusela isebe lethu e-16 Tenedou Street, kodwa indawo yokushicilela yasala eLombardou Street. Kamva indawo yokushicilela yafuduswa eLombardou Street yasiwa kumzi-mveliso weNgqina owawuthe qelele ngomgama oziikhilomitha ezintlanu. Ngoko kangangethuba elide sasinyuka sisehla phakathi kweelokishi ezintathu.
Ndikhumbula ndinduluka kwindawo esasihlala kuyo eTenedou Street ngoms’ obomvu ndize ndihambe ukuya kwindawo yokushicilela. Emva kokusebenza apho de kube yintsimbi yokuqala emva kwemini, ndandisiya eLombardou Street apho ayefunyanwa khona amaphepha okushicilela. Apho ayesongwa abe ngamaphephancwadi, ayethungwa aze asikwe ngesandla. Emva koko sasithabatha amaphephancwadi agqityiweyo siwase eposini, siwathwale ukuya kumgangatho wesithathu, sincedise abasebenzi baseposini ukuwalungisa, size sifake izitampu kwiimvulophu ukuze ahanjiswe.
Ngowe-1954 inani lamaNgqina eGrisi landa langaphezu kwama-4000, yaye kwafuneka kwandiswe izakhiwo. Ngenxa yoko, safudukela kwiBheteli entsha eyayinemigangatho emithathu kwidolophu esemazantsi eAthens eKartali Street. Ngowe-1958, ndacelwa ukuba ndongamele ikhitshi, yaye leyo yaba yimbopheleleko yam de kwangowe-1983. Ngelo xesha, ngowe-1959, ndatshata noEleftheria, owangqineka engumncedani onyanisekileyo enkonzweni kaYehova.
Ukunyamezela Inkcaso Kwakhona
Ngowe-1967 iqela labaphathi-mkhosi elalawula emva kobhukuqo-mbuso labamb’ iintambo, yaye kwakhona umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela waba phantsi kwemiqathango. Noko ke, ngenxa yamava esawafumana kwixesha elidluleyo okuhlangabezana nokuvalwa komsebenzi, sakhawuleza saqhela saza saqhubeka ngokunempumelelo emfihlekweni.
Iintlanganiso zethu sasiziqhubela ngasese kumakhaya yaye sasebenzisa ubulumko kubulungiseleli bethu bendlu ngendlu. Sekunjalo, abazalwana bethu babebanjwa rhoqo, yaye amatyala enkundla ayesiya eba maninzi. Amagqwetha ethu ayesoloko ezizinxada-nxada esingatha amatyala kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo zeli lizwe. Phezu kwayo nje inkcaso, inkoliso yamaNgqina yaqhubeka nomsebenzi wokushumayela ngokuthe rhoqo, ngokukodwa ngeempelaveki.
Ngokuqhelekileyo ngoMgqibelo okanye ngeCawa emva kokuba sigqibile ukushumayela ngolo suku, kwakuhlolwa lowo ongabuyanga kwiqela lethu. Ngokuqhelekileyo, abo bangabuyanga babegcinwe eluvalelweni kwisikhululo samapolisa esikufutshane. Ngoko sasibaphathela iingubo nokutya size sibakhuthaze. Kwakhona, sasisazisa amagqwetha ethu, awayesiya kumtshutshisi ngoMvulo ukukhusela abo babanjiweyo. Sasijamelana ngovuyo nale meko ngenxa yokuba besibandezeleka ngenxa yenyaniso!
Ebudeni bokuvalwa komsebenzi, umsebenzi wethu wokushicilela eBheteli wavalwa. Ngoko indlu esasihlala kuyo noEleftheria ekwihlomela ledolophu yaseAthens yaba yindawo yokushicilela. UEleftheria wayechwetheza imibhalo yamanqaku eMboniselo esebenzisa umatshini wokuchwetheza onzima. Wayebeka amaphepha alishumi ngexesha kumatshini wokuchwetheza aze awacinezele ngamandla ukuze amagama aphumele. Emva koko ndandiwaqokelela la maphepha ndize ndiwathunge ndiwadibanise. Oku sasikwenza rhoqo ngengokuhlwa kude kube sezinzulwini zobusuku. Kwakukho ipolisa elalihlala kumgangatho ongezantsi kowethu, yaye into eyayisimangalisa kukuba lingazange lisikrokrele.
Ukuvuya Ngenxa Yolwando Oluqhubekayo
Inkqubo yolawulo-melo yamiselwa eGrisi ngowe-1974, yaye umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela waqhubeka ngamandla ekuhleni. Sekunjalo, ebudeni beminyaka esixhenxe yemiqathango kumsebenzi wethu, saba nolwando olumangalisayo lwamaNgqina amatsha angaphezu kwama-6000, ukufikelela kwisimbuku sabavakalisi boBukumkani esingaphezu kwe-17 000.
Kwakhona saqalisa umsebenzi wethu wokushicilela rhoqo kwizakhiwo zesebe. Ngenxa yoko, izakhiwo zeBheteli eziseKartali Street kungekudala zaba ncinane kakhulu. Ngoko kwathengwa umhlaba oyihektare enye kusingadolophu waseAthens iMarousi. Kwakhiwa izakhiwo ezitsha zaseBheteli kuquka amagumbi okulala angama-27, umzi-mveliso, iofisi nezinye izakhiwo. Ezi zanikezelwa ngo-Oktobha 1979.
Ekuhambeni kwexesha safuna indawo engakumbi. Ngoko kwathengwa umhlaba oziihektare ezingama-22 kumgama ongama-60 eekhilomitha kumntla weAthena. Isiza esise-Eleona, simi phezu kwegeduka elikunika umbono weentaba neentlambo ezinamanzi acwengileyo. Apho, ngoAprili 1991, sanikezela isakhiwo esikhulu ngakumbi esasiquka izindlu ezingama-22, nganye kunokuhlala abantu abasibhozo.
Emva kokuchitha iminyaka engaphezu kwama-60 kubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo, ndisasikelelwe ngempilo entle. Okundivuyisayo kukuba, ‘ndisahluma nangona ndinezimvi.’ (INdumiso 92:14) Ndibulela ngokukodwa kuYehova kuba ndiye ndaphila ndazibonela ngawam amehlo ukwanda okuzukileyo ngamanani kwabanquli bakhe bokwenyaniso. Umprofeti uIsaya wakuxela kwangaphambili ukwanda okulolo hlobo: “Ohlala evuliwe amasango akho imini nobusuku; akayi kuvalwa, ukuze bungeniswe kuwe ubutyebi beentlanga.”—Isaya 60:11.
Hayi indlela ekuvuyisa ngayo ukubona izigidi zabantu ziphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga zingumsinga ukuya kwintlangano kaYehova zize zifundiswe indlela yokusinda kwimbandezelo enkulu ukuya kwihlabathi likaThixo elitsha! (2 Petros 3:13) Ngokunyanisekileyo ndinokuthi ubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo bungqineke kum buxabiseke ngaphezu kwayo yonke into eli hlabathi elinokukunika yona. Ewe, andifumananga, butyebi bagolide, kodwa iidayimani zokomoya ezibutyebisileyo ubomi bam ngaphezu kwento yonke.
[Pictures On Page 23]
NguMichalis noEleftheria Kaminaris
(Ngasekunene) Ngumatshini wokushicilela eLombardou Street